Hardshell

Functional clothing is particularly important when it comes to working out your own turns. Bergans piqued our interest with their Dermizax™ NX combo and we tested it for you.

The Veda jacket and Vasaki pants are the latest men's models in Salewa's freeski mountaineering line. As a hardshell, they form the first barrier against the elements such as wind, moisture and other unpleasantness that you encounter in the mountains. The membrane used is Powertex, which is not only waterproof and breathable, but also very stretchy. Both the jacket and trousers have a super-thin layer of fleece on the inside. This is not a real lining, the fleece is attached directly to the 3-layer material and is really very thin (approx. 1 mm). Nevertheless, this makes the jacket and trousers slightly warmer than pure shell clothing. I have been using the jacket and trousers combination for just under a month for skiing and touring.

"La Grave" is the name of the men's model in Ortovox's new hardshell clothing line. We became aware of the jacket because, according to the manufacturer, it combines the function of a three-layer hardshell jacket with the warmth and comfort of merino wool. To find out what the top jacket can really do, we put it to an extensive test in the powder snow of the still young winter of 2010/11.

Functional, high-quality clothing is essential for winter sports enthusiasts: cold, wet, hours of physical exertion. You sweat even though the thermometer reads -20°. You want to stay dry. High demands are placed on winter sports clothing. How do you dress on a day when you are doing sport in the cold?

A day like any other in the mountains: it's winter, the sun is shining, but the cold is showing its teeth! You're on tour, freeriding or somewhere else... Take a look at your body: your heart is pumping, your lungs are squeezing and your sweat glands are working overtime.